Bex-Villars

Snowpack

On steep northern slopes in the high Alpine regions, the snowpack is still dry.

The old snowpack is water-saturated on southern slopes up to the high Alpine regions and on eastern and western slopes up to around 3000 m. On northern slopes, most of the old snowpack is water-saturated up to around 2800 m. Large wet avalanches may still occur at these altitudes because some weak layers deep in the snowpack will become significantly less stable when they first become saturated. Isolated wet slab avalanches have also been triggered by human activity.

After a mostly overcast night, the surface of the snowpack will barely be capable of bearing loads. Over the course of the morning, it will soften rapidly with diffuse solar radiation and rising temperatures, and the risk of wet avalanches will increase significantly, especially on north-facing slopes.

Weather forecast to Saturday

Overnight to Saturday conditions will be mostly overcast, with a little local precipitation in the north, falling as rain below 3000 m. The west and south will be sunny during the day, while the north will be cloudy with sunny intervals and localised showers.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m around +10 °C; zero-degree level around 3200 m

Wind

Southwesterly:

• increasing to moderate to strong over the course of the day on the northern flank of the Alps
• light in the south

Weather review for Friday

After a clear night, conditions were sunny.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m around +12 °C; zero-degree level around 3800 m

Wind

Light to moderate southwesterly

OutlookSunday

Overnight to Sunday conditions will be mostly cloudy with precipitation. During the day, it will be mostly cloudy with widespread showers and localised thunderstorms. In Valais and in the south there may be brighter spells. 20 to 30 cm of snow will fall on the northern flank of the Alps, less elsewhere. The snowfall level will be at 2600 m. The north will see strong southwesterly winds during the night, but otherwise winds will mostly be light.

There will be a slight but widespread increase in the risk of dry avalanches, with this being considerable on the northern flank of the Alps depending on the amount of precipitation. Wet avalanches are still to be expected, especially on north-facing slopes.

Monday

Overnight to Monday conditions will be very cloudy with precipitation and thunderstorms. During the day it will be very cloudy with widespread precipitation. The south and east will see the most snowfall, with 20 to 30 cm, and as much as 40 cm from Moesano to the Bernina region. The snowfall level will fall to 1800 m in the north and 2400 m in the south. Winds will mainly be light.

The risk of dry avalanches will increase, significantly from the Moesano to the Bernina region. Wet avalanches are still to be expected, especially on northern slopes.